The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through its industry development and investments promotion arm—the Philippine Board of Investments (BOI), and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), recently (November 13, 2018) concluded its third national meeting and workshop for the Roads Leveraging Linkages for Industry and Trade (ROLL IT) Program with both government agencies committing to further strengthen linkages to build more public infrastructure, helping local industries to be more stronger and competitive.

The two departments conducted the ROLL IT meeting and workshop to discuss and provide updates on the status of on-going industry-developing infrastructure projects and at the same time submit suggestions on how to further improve the program.

“We continue to share data and updates as to what happened for the past last two years of the program on budget preparation and implementation and what to include in these discussions so that for the third year of the ROLL-IT, we hope budget proposals and preparations will be much smoother. We hope to continue with the Convergence Program. This is a five-year program and the objective to develop the countryside, disperse the economic activities for the development of the whole country,” BOI Executive Director for Industry Development Services and DTI ROLL IT Chairperson Ma. Corazon Halili-Dichosa said at program opening. She noted that this year, the program was allotted P12.6B with 229 projects covering the construction and upgrading of access roads. For 2019, ROLL IT has a proposed budget of P6.8B with 179 projects for access roads.

During the workshop, Research, Education, and Institutional Development (REID) Foundation, Inc. Vice President Ronilo Balbieran of the ROLL IT Secretariat presented updates on the technical details of the ROLL IT program, division of responsibilities and timeline of activities while DTI - Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) Regional Director Myrna discussed the Best Practices of the program from identification to submission and completion of requirements. Meanwhile, DPWH Director for Planning Service and DPWH ROLL IT Chairperson Constante Llanes Jr. presented the updates on the DPWH Strategic Infrastructure Programs, Policies and Projects for 2019 based on the proposed budget.

BOI Executive Director and DTI ROLL IT Chairperson Ma. Corazon Halili-Dichosa delivers a message at the onset of the 3rd DTI-DPWH ROLL-IT National Meeting at the City Garden Grand Hotel.

During the consultation forum, regional directors and representatives from DTI and DPWH exchanged ideas and suggestions on how to further improve and accelerate the process in the supervision, monitoring and implementation of projects especially in light of the upcoming cash-based budget for 2019. At the onset of the Convergence program, these officials were directed to identify potential road and industry projects.

“We extend our gratitude to the DTI and BOI for having the patience in the implementation. We are doing this for the country to ensure our people have jobs. These jobs are created by the industries and part of that is due to our convergence,” DPWH Undersecretary for Planning and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and DPWH ROLL IT Champion Maria Catalina Cabral said at the conclusion of the workshop.

It was in November 2016 when the two government agencies forged a partnership to create a convergence program on road connectivity for industry and trade development. It is envisioned that the ROLL IT Program will fuel the recent high growth of domestic investments as well as the surge in foreign direct investments of the country through more road projects funded within the Duterte Administration (2016-2022).

Under the ROLL IT Program, both departments will undertake planning, budgeting, advocacy for legislation, identification, evaluation, prioritization, regulation, supervision, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of industry-developing infrastructure projects in priority economic and manufacturing zones in the Philippines. The program fast-tracks industry and trade growth as the Duterte administration ushers the golden age of infrastructure in the country with a budget of P8.2T or about 7% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The convergence program will ensure that better road infrastructure connecting the industries and trade will further facilitate balanced development, dispersal of industries from the urban areas towards the rural areas, creating more jobs and income opportunities to more Filipinos.♦